These pumpkin muffins are gluten and fat free with delicious festive flavor. I use organic ingredients whenever possible.

This soothing soup can be made with turkey or chicken, or beans for a vegetarian dish. I typically use the carcass of the poultry to make a broth overnight before starting the soup, but not during this busy time. Short-cuts such as using store-bought broth and pre-cut vegetables in a “mirepoix” mix are encouraged to save time and your sanity.

This is probably the easiest main course you’ll ever make. Slow cooker chicken is fantastic for busy schedules and leftovers.

Kvass is traditionally a fermented drink made with beets. This refreshing drink is made from fruit and started with kombucha rather than whey. Please note that fermented drinks may contain a negligible amount of residual alcohol that occurs naturally during fermentation. Generally, the longer the drink is fermented, the greater the alcohol content.

Here’s my favorite, simplified (really!) recipe for homemade kombucha. Start with a small batch, 1 quart, and increase over time.  You can make kombucha as tart or as sweet as you like. The longer the drink ferments, the more probiotics and negligible alcohol are created. Pictured here: A berry kombucha with strained berry puree added after the first ferment.

Cashew cream sauce is a versatile vegan sauce made from cashew nuts.

This recipe creates fermented cucumbers, which offers more gut beneficial properties than pickles.

Sauerkraut is a probiotic-rich food that’s made from cabbage. This recipe is so easy that you’ll wonder why you haven’t been making this all along.

Cultured cashew yogurt is a probiotic-rich food that’s made from cashew nuts.

Cultured coconut yogurt is a probiotic-rich food that’s made from coconut milk.

Steel cut oats are filling and a good source of fiber. Here are two ways to prepare this delicious food, either for breakfast or any time of the day.

This quiche is so easy and gluten-free. You can add whatever ingredients you like or have on hand. You can decrease eggs and add a milk, which is typical of a traditional quiche recipe. However, this recipe is all eggs with no milk of any kind.

Get ready for energized calm! This veggie-loaded smoothie can be customized according to your available ingredients and preferences. Add more berries to achieve a rosier color. Aim for less than 50% fruit content to achieve better sugar handling and increased satiety.

Here is my easy gluten-free, low-sugar berry crumble pie. In this simplified version, I use a frozen gluten-free pie crust and frozen berries. If you have more time, you can incorporate a homemade crust using gluten-free or nut-based flour. Fresh berries are a welcome substitution when available.

This delicious oatmeal cookie contains less sugar than your typical treat because it’s mostly sweetened with banana.

These grain-free crêpes are amazingly delicious and super easy to make.

These yummy and filling gluten-free pancakes are made with pumpkin puree and offer a subtle pumpkin spice flavor.

This is a fun breakfast idea for St. Patrick’s Day, or any day for kids (big or small) who prefer not to see their vegetables.

This delicious chocolate sauce is great for dipping strawberries, drizzling on crepes, or adding to coffee for a mocha drink. Because the sauce isn’t prepared with high temperatures and doesn’t contain any waxy ingredients, the chocolate will remain soft and not harden completely.

These black bean muffins are grain, gluten, dairy, and processed-sugar free! See the variations below to substitute aquafaba for eggs to make them vegan. When leaving these treats for my son’s preschool class several years ago, I was told that all the kids loved them. One boy even asked me for the recipe after class. They’re preschool approved!